


11:11

by seaunicorn



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, Wishes, canon typical homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:08:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24156391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seaunicorn/pseuds/seaunicorn
Summary: “Make a wish.”“I dunno,” Emma sighed, slumping back against the wall. “Right now I just wish things didn’t suck so much.”“Hey, it’s still a wish,” Alyssa said. “And just in time, too.” She held out her watch to show Emma as the second hand finished its loop around and the minute hand shifted forward. 11:12. “I hope your wish comes true.”
Relationships: Alyssa Greene/Emma Nolan
Comments: 8
Kudos: 100





	11:11

The band closet had become a safe haven.

Before she would just use it when she wanted a quick break from the busy, loud halls of James Madison. She would step in the closet to take a moment to breathe. If she was feeling particularly anxious one day, she would eat her lunch in the silent, dark room and finally feel at ease.

Ever since she came out, Emma Nolan had been living in the closet. Ironic.

If she was out in the halls for more than a few minutes at a time, it was hard to avoid her classmates that liked to hurl insults at her. _Dyke, lesbo,_ she had heard them all. Now she tried to spend as little time as possible in the halls and much more time inside the band closet.

Emma had been at her locker, grabbing books for her next class, when Nick Boomer cornered her there. Nick had been one of her most regular harassers. She could handle Nick. What she couldn’t handle was her friend Kaylee, standing there, laughing.

At least, she had thought they were friends.

Emma couldn’t get out of there fast enough. She pushed past her classmates, ignored the warning bell, and headed straight for the band closet. She couldn’t even remember what class she was supposed to be in; all she could remember was the look on Kaylee’s face while she laughed. Did she regret ever being friends? Was she disgusted by the fact that they were friends? Or did she just not even care anymore? Emma wasn’t sure which one would hurt the most.

Just as Emma thought she was getting her tears under control, another sob wracked through her body. She fished in her backpack for a tissue and pulled one out of the little to-go package that her grandmother had put in there at the beginning of the week, only to find that this was the last one. It was only Tuesday. Had she really spent that much time crying that she already used up all her tissues?

She made a mental note to try and sneak another package without her grandmother finding out.

Emma must have looked like a mess. Her eyes were red and her face was blotchy and tear stained. At least she was always able to make it to the closet before she broke down. She didn’t want to imagine the looks on their faces if they knew she was curled up alone in the dark band closet, alone, crying her eyes out.

She was sure they would just laugh more. Nick, Kaylee, everyone had been laughing. Everyone except—

Emma was drawn from her thoughts by a knock at the door.

She immediately stopped her crying and grew still, hoping that whoever it was would just think the room was empty and go away. After a quiet, still moment, just when Emma thought she was in the clear, the doorknob turned.

Emma held her breath, prepared for Nick to expose her hideout to the world, or Mr. Bishop, the band teacher, to yell at her to get to class, or Principal Hawkins to escort her to his office and excuse her from classes for the rest of the day and call her grandmother to come pick her up, making this whole charade into a much bigger deal than it needed to be.

What she wasn’t prepared for was Alyssa Greene.

Alyssa Greene, cheerleader, junior class president, debate team captain, friends with Kaylee, and overall popular girl.

Alyssa Greene, the only person who never laughed at Emma.

She didn’t say anything as she found Emma sitting there, crying. She didn’t say anything as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She didn’t say anything as she walked across the tiny room and sat down next to Emma.

Emma started to grow uncomfortable in the tense silence, so she cleared her throat. “Shouldn’t you be in class?” she asked.

Alyssa shrugged. “I was,” she said. “You weren’t.”

Emma looked at her questioningly.

“Third period. History.”

“Right,” Emma sighed, her voice a little shaky. “That’s what book I was getting. Am I missing anything important?”

Alyssa shook her head. “There’s a sub today. She just put on a movie.”

They were quiet for a moment. Emma just wanted to be left alone to cry in peace, but Alyssa’s presence was distracting. Her thoughts were loud, the internal conflict clearly visible on her face, but she just sat, shaking her leg, too scared to actually say anything. Emma wanted to be alone, but she didn’t want to tell her to leave.

“What are you doing here?”

Alyssa frowned. Her leg stopped shaking. She turned to Emma, a look of concern in her eyes. “I’m sorry about them,” she muttered. “Everyone in this school. They just… they really suck.”

Emma wasn’t sure what she was expecting to hear, but that wasn’t it. She laughed lightly. “Yeah, they do.”

Alyssa didn’t say anything else, she just sat there with Emma. Emma still didn’t quite know why she was here, what she was doing, but she started to relax. It didn’t seem like Alyssa was planning on leaving anytime soon.

“How, um—how’d you know I was in here?”

Alyssa shrugged. “I-I saw you take off this way. And I know you’re in band so I thought you might be somewhere around here, I don’t know…”

“You know I’m in band?” Emma asked, surprised.

Alyssa nodded. “Don’t act so surprised. I notice you, Emma.” She paused for a moment, then looked down at the floor, a soft smile on her lips, and added, “You’re hard not to notice.”

Emma furrowed her brow, confused. Confused about what she meant, confused about the flutter in her chest at Alyssa’s words. Instead of acknowledging that, Emma cleared her throat. “Shouldn’t you be getting back to class?”

“Oh, yeah, I’d hate to miss the riveting Civil War documentary that’s on right now,” Alyssa said, sarcastic. Emma couldn’t help the way her lips quirked up in a smile. Alyssa glanced down, seeming to notice, and her face brightened. She hesitated a moment, then asked, “Do you mind if I hang out with you in here?”

Emma glanced at her surroundings, suddenly self conscious about her choice of spot. The light bulb on the ceiling was about to die so the already dim light flickered every few seconds. There were definitely cobwebs in all the corners. The shelves were a mess of sheet music and broken instruments, and the floor was crowded with stacks of chairs and music stands. There was hardly any room to sit comfortably for one person, let alone two.

Alyssa didn’t seem to mind, though. She looked at Emma, an expectant, hopeful smile on her face. Emma just shrugged. “I guess,” she muttered. “How much time do we have?”

Alyssa glanced down at her watch and frowned. “Only ten more minutes left this period.” She looked at her watch again, then after a moment, her face lit up. “It’s 11:11,” she said. “Make a wish!”

Emma frowned. “Huh?”

“Um, it’s something my dad used to tell me,” Alyssa said, blushing. “He said that 11:11 is a magic time and anything you wish for has to come true.” She shook her head, looking down at her lap. “I know it’s just a silly superstition. I figured it wasn’t real when I wished for him to come back and that never happened… But I don’t know. Sometimes it’s still nice to wish for something. Gives you something to hope for.”

“It’s not silly,” Emma muttered. “That makes sense.”

Alyssa looked at her again. “So?” she asked. “Make a wish.”

“I dunno,” Emma sighed, slumping back against the wall. “Right now I just wish things didn’t suck so much.”

“Hey, it’s still a wish,” Alyssa said. “And just in time, too.” She held out her watch to show Emma as the second hand finished its loop around and the minute hand shifted forward. 11:12. “I hope your wish comes true.”

Emma shrugged. “Hey, one person at school being nice to me is a lot more than I had yesterday,” she said. She tried to ignore the frown on Alyssa’s face. “So… thanks.”

Yeah, one person isn’t great, but it’s better than nothing, especially when that one person is Alyssa Greene. 

Alyssa smiled. “Anytime.”

* * *

“You girls need anything before I head out?” Betsy Nolan poked her head through Emma’s bedroom door, grinning at the teenagers sprawled out on Emma’s bed, textbooks and notes strewn across every surface.

“Gran,” Emma groaned. “You already baked cookies, made lemonade, and left money for pizza for lunch. You’re only gonna be gone an hour. I think we’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Nolan,” Alyssa called out with a charming smile. “Don’t be late for your book club!”

“Any friend of Emma’s is a friend of mine,” Betsy replied as she backed away from the door. “Good luck with your project! Don’t work too hard!”

Emma and Alyssa watched as Betsy backed down the hall until she disappeared around the corner, then listened for the front door to close behind her. Then, they turned to each other in a fit of giggles.

“I’m sorry about her,” Emma laughed.

“Don’t be!” Alyssa said quickly. “She’s sweet.”

“And, uh, thanks for coming over so early on a Saturday,” Emma said.

Alyssa rolled her eyes. “Please, I have to get up earlier than this for church tomorrow anyway. Besides, I’m glad we finally have an excuse to hang out. As much as I like that band closet of yours, it is a little cramped. And your bedroom is cute.” She glanced around at the green walls and random posters covering it.

Emma blushed. It was already weird having Alyssa as a friend, but having Alyssa in her room? Even weirder. She brushed it off with a shrug and changed the subject. “Still, gran can be a little overbearing. I’m glad she’s out of the house for a bit.”

“Better than my mom,” Alyssa mused. “If we were at my house right now, we would be working in the dining room with her looking over our shoulders at everything we did.”

“As if your mom would ever let me inside her house,” Emma joked. They exchanged a quick, amused look, then burst into another fit of giggles.

When their laughter finally died down, Alyssa took a look around them at all their notes. “I guess we should start on this project, huh?”

Emma’s face fell. “Probably,” she sighed.

“Or…” Alyssa teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Or?” Emma asked.

“We could have some of those cookies your grandma mentioned.”

Emma grinned. “I like the way you think, Alyssa Greene.” She leapt out of bed, knocking over a few papers in the process, and sprinted down the hall.

A few minutes later, they sat on the floor, at the foot of Emma’s bed, munching on chocolate chunk cookies. Alyssa looked like she was in a world of bliss as she closed her eyes and sighed with each bite.

“They’re that good, huh?” Emma asked with a soft laugh.

Alyssa blushed. “Sorry,” she muttered. “My mom doesn’t let me eat sugar at home so I indulge whenever I get a chance.”

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

“Exactly.”

Alyssa just looked at her for a moment. Emma felt nervous under her gaze, but Alyssa’s dark eyes set her heart aflutter. She shoved the feelings deep down into her chest, like she had gotten used to doing over the weeks that she and Alyssa had become friends. Emma had one friend at school and she couldn’t do anything to jeopardize that, even when that friend was staring at her with an adorable glint in her eyes, biting her lip in a way that made Emma want to throw caution to the wind and ruin everything.

She clenched her fists and cleared her throat.

“We should, uh, get working now.”

Alyssa glanced over her shoulder at the digital clock on Emma’s dresser. “I guess,” she sighed, but then her face broke into a grin. “It’s 11:11!”

Emma turned around and saw that her clock, indeed, read the magical time where wishes came true. Emma was never really one to believe in that sort of thing, or make wishes, but she loved to indulge Alyssa because of the joy it brought to her friend. And, if she was thinking about it, her life had gotten significantly less sucky ever since that fateful day Alyssa followed her into the band closet and told her to make a wish.

Emma pursed her lips and thought for a moment about what to wish for.

She could wish that they would ace this project, but she and Alyssa were some of the best students in their year. They would probably ace the project regardless and it would be a waste of a wish.

She could wish for something big and long into the future, like getting out of Edgewater and moving to San Francisco or New York, going to college somewhere she was free to be herself, but that future still seemed so distant and impossible. It felt like a long shot to throw a wish away on something like that.

She didn’t want to wish for school to suck less; it felt like things at school were as good as they were going to get for the time being. The teasing had died down over the weeks as other news spread through the rumor mill like wildfire and Emma sat, mostly forgotten and unnoticed in the background, except for the occasional insults that were thrown her way if she accidentally bumped into the wrong person. She had Alyssa and even if they couldn’t publicly be friends, that made school a lot better.

And then her thoughts drifted to Alyssa.

Alyssa and her bright smile and caring eyes. She quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head, watching Emma expectantly. Emma felt that flutter in her chest again that she had been trying to quell ever since that first day in the band closet.

Yeah, she had feelings for Alyssa. Who wouldn’t? She was the nicest person Emma had ever met, except perhaps her grandmother. She was brilliant, not just book smart, always thinking out of the box. She was talented, even Emma would admit that she caught a few football games to watch her cheer and wandered by the debate club while they were practicing.

And she was beautiful. Absolutely, breathtakingly, stunningly beautiful.

Emma couldn’t believe someone like Alyssa ever wanted to hang out with her, so even the idea of Alyssa returning her feelings was laughable.

And yet, sometimes, in moments like these, Emma couldn’t help but wonder…

When Alyssa’s eyes caught hers in the hall at school and they shared a secret smile. When Alyssa laughed at something Emma said and then looked at her with adoring eyes that took Emma’s breath away. When Emma let their hugs linger a few moments longer than necessary, and Alyssa didn’t seem to want to let go either.

She couldn’t help but wonder, and maybe wish…

“Did you make a wish?” Alyssa asked, her voice much softer than the excited volume she used a moment ago.

Emma blinked, suddenly wondering how long she had been staring at Alyssa. “Uh…”

“It’s 11:12 now,” Alyssa said, frowning. “Did you make your wish in time?”

“Um, I’m not sure,” Emma said honestly as she shrugged. “Did you?”

Alyssa nodded. She shifted awkwardly and was suddenly a few inches closer to Emma than she had been before.

Emma swallowed. Her eyes flicked down to Alyssa’s lips, then immediately shot back up to her eyes. “Um, what did you wish for?”

Alyssa hesitated a moment, until finally she whispered, “To be brave.”

Emma looked at her curiously until she saw Alyssa’s gaze fall down on her lips. She wasn’t imagining that. Emma’s eyes grew wide and her heart pounded in her chest, deafening her as Alyssa leaned in.

When their lips met, time seemed to stop for a moment. Emma couldn’t tell you what year it was. She couldn’t give you the month or the day of the week or her own last name. All she knew was the soft press of Alyssa’s lips against hers, and it was heaven.

It was over all too soon. Alyssa pulled away and the world suddenly began spinning again after it stood still for a moment. Emma’s eyes fluttered open, and though she knew it was all in her head, suddenly the world seemed a little brighter. The green walls of her bedroom were a bit more vibrant. The sunlight streaming through the window was a bright and inviting yellow. Alyssa’s eyes weren’t brown but golden, glowing, and her cheeks were flushed a soft pink color that wasn’t there before. Emma grinned.

“Was that okay?” Alyssa asked.

Emma quickly nodded, reassuring her, though she still couldn’t find the words in her head to say exactly what she wanted. Her brain was foggy, clouded with Alyssa. She blindly reached out until she found Alyssa’s hands and squeezed them gently, tugging her closer, hoping to convey with her touch what she couldn’t find the words for.

Alyssa looked at her curiously for a moment, understanding what she was silently asking. Emma nodded, and Alyssa surged forward again.

She captured Emma’s lips again, kissing her more fervently than before. Her hands came up and cupped Emma’s cheeks, fingers stroking along her jaw. The gentle touch sent a shiver down Emma’s back. Her arms snaked around Alyssa’s waist, tugging her closer.

This felt like a dream. This had to be something out of a dream. And yet…

One of Alyssa’s hands tangled in Emma’s hair, and Emma sighed against her lips. God, this was real, and she would never get enough of kissing Alyssa.

Eventually their kisses slowed, the need to breathe and calm their racing hearts beating out their desire to keep kissing, but only just.

Emma sat, eyes firmly closed, even as Alyssa’s lips disappeared. She kept a firm grip around Alyssa’s waist, holding her close.

“Wow,” Emma breathed out.

“Yeah,” Alyssa agreed. “Wow.”

Her eyes fluttered open, finding Alyssa already looking at her. Alyssa’s gorgeous curls fell in her face, so Emma reached up and tucked the hair behind her ear, getting a better view of Alyssa’s face. She looked breathless, content. Emma felt the same.

“I can’t believe you kissed me,” Emma mused.

Alyssa chuckled softly. “I can’t believe you kissed me back.”

Emma kissed her again, quick, soft, reassuring. Alyssa melted into it for a moment, then leaned back. She put a little more space between them this time, but her hand quickly found Emma’s, lacing their fingers together and holding it tight.

“I like you, Emma,” she muttered. “A lot.”

“You do?” Emma asked. Alyssa laughed at her surprise and squeezed her hand.

“I do,” she whispered. “I can’t, um, come out or anything. I just can’t.” She squeezed her eyes shut, frustrated, hurting.

Emma rubbed her thumb across her knuckles, hoping to soothe her nerves, and Alyssa seemed to immediately relax at the touch.

“I’m sorry,” Alyssa sighed. “But I just wanted you to know. At least once.”

Emma quickly shook her head. “I don’t care.”

“What?”

“That came out wrong,” Emma said, frowning. “I just mean… you don’t have to come out. Hell, look what happened to me. I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone, least of all you. You… don’t deserve any of that. You deserve so much better than that.”

“So do you,” Alyssa argued with a frown. “I wish I was as brave as you.”

Emma blushed as she shrugged her shoulders. “Um, I like you too,” she muttered. “If that wasn’t clear.”

Alyssa smiled, but there was a sadness in her eyes over everything unspoken. “What do we do now?”

“I don’t know,” Emma sighed. She glanced around at her room and caught sight of the papers for their project that she knocked off her bed earlier. “We could work on our project?”

Alyssa tensed next to her. “I guess that’s a good idea.” She started to get up, but Emma held her hand tight, not letting her go.

Emma took a deep breath, calming herself. “Or… you could kiss me again,” she whispered, her voice a little shaky. “It’s a big project. I could see it taking at least a few weeks.”

Alyssa’s smile brightened. She nodded, leaning in again, cupping Emma’s cheek with her free hand. “At least,” she agreed, and kissed her.

A few weeks wasn’t a long time, but maybe it would be enough time to figure out something better. The next time the clock struck 11:11, Emma knew she would be wishing to kiss Alyssa for the rest of her life.

* * *

Having a secret girlfriend was hard.

Emma loved Alyssa, she loved being with her more than anything, but it was hard. Only getting to see her in passing in the halls, sharing secret smiles and wistful glances until they were behind closed doors. They had been together for over a year, and though Emma still felt that same flutter in her chest every time Alyssa looked her way, it was hard.

Still, it was moments like this that Emma lived for. The two were lying side by side in the back of Emma’s truck, piles of blankets underneath them. Emma had driven them out to the lake. It was still too cold for there to be crowds out here, so Emma could put up with the wind chill if it meant Alyssa would snuggle into her side and they could pretend to be a normal couple for a while as they gazed up at the stars.

Alyssa told her mother she was with Kaylee and Shelby after the big game, and she told her friends that her mother wanted her at home. That meant Alyssa was all hers until her curfew at midnight.

Emma didn’t know how long they had been out there, but she didn’t want to look at the time, afraid that theirs was almost up.

“What are you thinking about?” Alyssa asked. She lifted her head from where it rested on Emma’s chest and watched her.

“You,” Emma muttered, and leaned in, kissing Alyssa on the forehead.

Alyssa blushed. “As sweet as you are, I’m gonna need more than that,” she said. “I can hear you thinking in there. What’s on your mind?”

Emma shrugged. “I don’t know,” she sighed. “I mean, I’m happy. I’m so happy. But I miss you so much when you’re not with me. I just wish…” she trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

“I do too,” Alyssa frowned. “I promise it’s not forever.”

“I know,” Emma muttered. “It’s just hard.”

Alyssa settled her head back on Emma’s chest. Emma began to run her fingers through Alyssa’s hair, stroking through the soft curls. Alyssa sighed blissfully, and Emma’s eyes fluttered closed once again as she relaxed, content to just be with her girlfriend for a little bit longer.

After a few minutes, Alyssa spoke up again. “Em,” she whispered.

“Mhm?”

“It’s 11:11.”

Emma chuckled. Alyssa always pointed out the time when it was 11:11 and they always made a wish. Emma kept her eyes closed and started thinking about her wish when her thoughts were interrupted.

“Are you making a wish?”

“Shh,” Emma quipped, eyes still closed. “You’re interrupting my wishing.”

She wished, even if nobody could know about them, that every day could be like this. As long as she had time with Alyssa, she didn’t care who knew or didn’t know. She was happy. When time with her girlfriend was hard to come by, it was all Emma wanted.

“I wish…” Alyssa whispered. “I wish I could dance with you in front of the whole school and they would all know that I’m yours.”

Emma smiled. “That sounds nice.”

She felt Alyssa tense next to her, holding her breath, but before Emma could ask what was wrong, Alyssa blurted out another question.

“Will you go to prom with me?”

Emma’s eyes snapped open. Alyssa had a timid look on her face. “W-what?”

“Prom,” Alyssa repeated. “Next month.”

“I know, but— I mean— are you sure?”

Alyssa nodded firmly. “I’m tired of hiding, Em. I love you and all I want is to shout it from the rooftops. I want everyone to know how much I adore you.”

“But your mom—”

“I’ll have to tell her eventually,” Alyssa muttered. “Might as well give her more time to process.”

Emma grabbed Alyssa’s shoulders and looked into her eyes, trying to find any flicker of doubt in them, but all she saw was determination. “You’re sure this is what you want?”

Alyssa nodded. “More sure than I’ve ever been in my life.”

Finally, Emma grinned, nodding her head enthusiastically. “Yes,” she gasped, and pulled Alyssa in for a kiss. “Yes, I’ll go to prom with you.”

Emma felt a few tears spring to her eyes, but Alyssa didn’t seem to care as they traded soft kisses for a moment, then Alyssa cupped Emma’s face and kissed her on the nose, then the forehead, then her cheeks, and then Alyssa’s lips went on a rampage, leaving soft kisses all over Emma’s face until she was giggling and crying and holding Alyssa tight. She never wanted to let go.

* * *

Emma never thought they would actually get here.

The past few weeks had been a whirlwind. Emma was on cloud nine when she bought prom tickets for her and Alyssa, but when word got out that she was bringing a date and prom was cancelled, everything started to go downhill, A few Broadway stars, a fake prom, an untimely breakup, and a viral video later, here they were.

It was a real prom. A prom with people like her, for people like her, and Alyssa was _here,_ dancing with her.

She still couldn’t believe it.

A day ago, they had been broken up. A day ago, Barry Glickman was going to be her prom date.

Even while they were broken up, Emma couldn’t help but glance at the clock every time it read 11:11 and wish that maybe, just maybe they would find their way back to each other somehow. As much as she wished and hoped, she hadn’t expected it to work.

And now she was dancing with the most beautiful girl in the world on prom night. Alyssa’s arms were linked around Emma’s neck. She tugged Emma closer and kissed her. Alyssa kissed her in front of everybody and the butterflies in Emma’s stomach threatened to burst out of her.

When Alyssa pulled away, Emma had a dopey grin on her face. She leaned in close, next to Alyssa’s ear.

“I love you,” Emma whispered, barely audible over the music, just for Alyssa’s ears.

She could feel Alyssa’s smile as their cheeks were pressed together. “I love _you.”_

They leaned back, and as Alyssa looked over her shoulder at something, Emma knew what she was about to say before she said it.

“It’s 11:11!” Alyssa squealed excitedly, pointing at the clock on the walls of the gym.

“Make a wish,” Emma whispered, kissing Alyssa on the cheek.

Alyssa looked at her, eyes glistening. “I wish everything could stay as perfect as it is right now.”

Emma smiled. “As long as I’m with you, it will be,” she muttered, and kissed Alyssa again, holding her tight as everything around them melted away: the music, the lights, the people.

Emma would kiss Alyssa forever if she’d let her.

* * *

“Fuck!”

Emma opened the oven and thick smoke poured out, the smell of something burnt seeping into every inch of the apartment. A moment later, the smoke alarm started going off.

“Damn it!”

She hurriedly opened all the windows, then rushed to the bedroom for the portable fan. Emma plugged it in and aimed it at the smoke, using the fan to blow it away from the smoke detector and out the open window.

That was when Alyssa decided to get home from work.

She looked around at the probably comical scene in the apartment: Emma, her hair a rumpled mess and her apron covered in various stains, dark smoke pouring out of the oven, and something black and very inedible sitting in a pan on the stove.

“What happened here?” Alyssa called out over the sound of the smoke detector. She pursed her lips, clearly trying not to laugh when she noticed the distraught look on Emma’s face.

“I just wanted to—” Emma shouted, but then the alarm stopped, and she could speak at a normal volume again. “I just wanted to make you dinner,” she pouted. “It’s date night.”

Alyssa smiled. She dropped her bag at the dining table, then walked up to Emma, grabbing her hands and kissing her sweetly. “You’re cute,” Alyssa murmured against her lips. “We can just go out tonight.”

“But—”

“No buts!” Alyssa proclaimed. “Go change. I’ll clean up out here.”

Emma tried pouting once more, but Alyssa simply kissed the pout off her lips, then shoved her gently back toward the bedroom.

Emma had never been good at arguing with Alyssa, so she reluctantly made her way into the room and closed the door behind her.

She sat on the bed and buried her face in her hands, letting out a long groan. Tonight was supposed to go perfectly and she had already ruined it. She waited until she heard the kitchen sink turn on so she knew Alyssa would be preoccupied and wouldn’t come storming into the room and reached into her jacket.

Emma pulled out a small box and flipped it open. She looked at the ring that had been burning a hole in her pocket for months and sighed.

Tonight was supposed to be perfect.

Instead, she would just have to work with what she had.

It was a few hours later. Emma and Alyssa had found a cute Italian place for dinner, then went and grabbed a drink at this nice lounge across the street. One drink turned into two, and they decided to walk home instead of taking a cab, happy to keep their date night going a little bit longer, enjoying the warm summer night air.

It was Alyssa’s idea to take a detour through the park.

It was late enough that the park was definitely closed and mostly empty, but the lights were on and no one scolded them as they walked hand in hand in the moonlight.

Emma spotted a little gazebo overlooking the lake in the distance. She checked the time on her watch and smiled. It was almost too perfect to be completely unplanned. Emma tugged Alyssa off the path.

“Where are we going?” Alyssa asked, giggling.

Emma nodded toward the gazebo. They stepped inside, footsteps echoing off the hardwood floor. Emma pulled Alyssa in front of her as she stepped up to the edge, so Alyssa was pinned against the railing, looking out at the lake.

“God, it’s beautiful out here in the moonlight,” Alyssa muttered.

“It is,” Emma agreed, but her eyes weren’t on the lake. They were on Alyssa.

Emma checked her watch again. 11:11. Perfect.

Emma showed her watch to Alyssa. “Close your eyes,” she whispered. “Make a wish.”

As Alyssa’s eyes fluttered closed, Emma took a step back. She gave Alyssa a moment to get through whatever wish she was making in her head, then got down on one knee and took a deep breath.

“I wish I could spend the rest of my life with you,” Emma whispered.

Alyssa started to turn around, and then Emma remembered one important thing she had almost forgotten. She quickly fumbled through her pockets for the small box, pulled it out, and flipped it open, just before Alyssa faced her and opened her eyes.

“Alyssa Greene, will you marry me?”

A soft gasp left Alyssa’s lips. Her eyes started to glisten with tears. Her mouth was agape, but she said nothing. Emma held her breath.

Finally, Alyssa nodded her head furiously. “Y-yes,” she gasped.

Emma felt a relieved sob escape her throat. “Yes?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yes, you dummy!” Alyssa laughed. She grabbed Emma by the collar of her shirt and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

It was a messy kiss. The taste of Alyssa’s lips was blended with the salt of their tears, and their teeth clashed together as they laughed and couldn’t stop smiling. It was a perfect kiss.

Eventually, Emma forced herself to pull away. “Can I put this on you now?” she asked breathless, holding up the ring.

Alyssa nodded, biting her lip. Time seemed to slow down as Emma took the ring from the box. Alyssa held out her left hand and their eyes met as Emma slowly slid it onto her finger. Alyssa’s eyes darkened.

Emma cleared her throat. “Um, did you want to call your mom?”

Alyssa shook her head and leaned in, kissing Emma again. Her arms snaked around Emma’s waist, tugging their hips together, and she sucked on Emma’s bottom lip. Emma let out a soft gasp, and Alyssa quickly pulled her head away.

“We can tell people tomorrow,” she muttered, and began to kiss down Emma’s jaw. “Tonight, we get to celebrate.”

Emma nodded weakly. “M-maybe we should call a cab now,” she sighed. “Get us home sooner.”

“That’s a great idea.”

The night may not have gone according to plan, but it was more perfect than Emma could possibly have wished for.

She couldn’t wait to marry Alyssa.

* * *

Emma would never grow tired of kissing Alyssa Greene. It had been fifteen years since they first kissed and she still couldn’t get enough of it.

She pinned her wife to the bed and pushed her tongue past her lips. Alyssa groaned, tugging at Emma’s shirt. She pushed her hands underneath for access to smooth skin, and Emma shivered at the touch.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Alyssa mumbled against her lips as they traded messy kisses. Her hands danced a little higher, up her tummy to her chest…

_“Mommy!”_

Alyssa immediately retracted her hands and Emma let out a frustrated sigh, all but collapsing on top of Alyssa. Talk about a mood killer.

“Whose turn is it?” Emma muttered.

“Yours,” Alyssa said immediately.

Emma frowned. “I swear it’s been my turn the last three times—”

“Baby,” Alyssa said, smiling sweetly up at her wife. “It’s your turn.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Yes, dear.” She rolled off the bed, found her slippers, unlocked their bedroom door, and shuffled down the hall. She knocked twice at the slightly ajar door before entering.

The moon shaped night light cast a warm glow across the room, and their daughter Tyler was tangled up in her dark blue comforter decorated in stars, a terrified look in her eyes.

“What is it, baby girl?” Emma asked as she sat at the edge of her bed. “Another bad dream?”

Tyler nodded, wiping her eyes and burying herself further into her comforter.

“I know they’re not fun, but they’re just dreams,” Emma whispered. “They can’t hurt you in the real world.”

“But they’re still scary,” Tyler pouted.

“I know,” Emma sighed. Then, she caught sight of Tyler’s alarm clock. She smiled. “Hey,” she whispered. “It’s 11:11.”

The change in Emma’s tone drew Tyler’s curiosity. “What does that mean?”

Emma pointed to the clock. “It’s a magic time. If you make a wish at 11:11, then it’ll come true.”

Tyler’s face lit up. “Really?”

Emma nodded. “Tell you what,” she said. “I can use my wish for you. That way you still have yours.” Tyler nodded. “I wish all your bad dreams will leave you alone.”

Tyler smiled, then shut her eyes tight and whispered, “I wish I had a puppy.”

Emma laughed. “Nice try, kiddo. We already have a puppy.”

Tyler pouted and Emma felt her stony facade crumble. She had been wanting another dog for a while now anyway.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Emma said with a wink.

Seemingly content, Tyler smiled and snuggled back into her blankets.

“Do you want to sleep with your mother and I tonight?” Emma asked.

Tyler shook her head. “I think I’m okay,” she said. “Thanks for the wish.”

“No problem,” Emma said with a smile. She leaned in and kissed her daughter on the forehead. “Goodnight, baby girl.”

“Night… mommy…”

Emma chuckled. Tyler had already started to doze off again. Silently, she crept out of the room, but found Alyssa leaning against the wall, just outside the door, listening to them. Emma put a finger over her lips and nodded back toward their bedroom.

When they got inside and closed the door, Alyssa pulled Emma onto the bed and cuddled into her side. Emma pulled her closer, suddenly exhausted.

“Have I told you lately that I love you?” Alyssa asked.

Emma smiled and kissed her sweetly. “Yeah,” she said, “but I like hearing it.”

She started to drift off to the sound of Alyssa’s steady breath and as her fingers traced gentle patterns on the skin of her belly.

“Oh,” Emma mumbled sleepily, “before I forget. How do you feel about—” She cut herself off with a long yawn. “About getting another...puppy...”

Alyssa just chuckled and kissed her on the temple. “Go to sleep, love,” she whispered. “We can talk about it in the morning.”

**Author's Note:**

> Idk what happened I just got inspired and wrote this all in mostly one sitting. Hope you enjoyed :)


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